News from the Alumniverse
Big ideas don’t stop after the award. Explore the latest updates from previous GCA winners turning potential into impact. Our alumni are continuing to disrupt, scale and inspire across the globe – and we’re here to back them.
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RESORTECS TEAMS UP WITH AMANN GROUP
Resortecs is partnering with AMANN Group to scale its Smart Stitch™ technology, enabling easier disassembly of garments and unlocking more efficient recycling.
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BIORESTORE X UNIQLO
Biorestore is now rolling out with UNIQLO across RE.UNIQLO Studio in Europe. A clear signal that garment care and longevity are moving closer to the mainstream.
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RENASENS RAISES SEK 100M
Renasens has secured SEK 100 million to push its recycling technology forward. Focus: tackling blended textile waste at scale.
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CIRCULAR.FASHION BUILDS WHAT’S NEXT
circular.fashion is advancing its work on digital product passports and circular systems, laying the groundwork for how garments are tracked, used and kept in circulation.
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SYNFLUX WINS AT GFS
Excited to see Synflux named Trailblazer Programme 2026 winner at Global Fashion Summit! Its AI-driven design system cuts fabric waste at source and is already in use with leading brands.
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RUBI LOCKS IN $60M
Big step for Rubi! With $60M in offtake agreements and $7.5M in new funding, they’re moving fast towards industrial scale: taking CO₂-based materials out of the lab and into production.
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AMBERCYCLE EXPANDS BHF PARTNERSHIP
In collaboration with global polyester manufacturer BHF, Ambercycle is scaling cycora® regenerated polyester within BHF’s fibre production ecosystem. The partnership enables broader adoption of textile-to-textile recycled polyester across global apparel supply chains.
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RESORTECS TEAMS UP WITH PEAK PERFORMANCE
Resortecs has contributed its Smart Stitch™ heat-dissolvable thread into sportswear brand Peak Performance’s R&D Helium Loop Anorak. This allows materials to be automatically separated at end of life and illustrates how design-for-disassembly can unlock recycling for complex down-insulated garments.
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Refiberd included in Forbes 30 under 30
Congratulations to Refiberd co-founders Sarika Bajaj and Tushita Gupta! They’ve been featured on the 2026 Forbes 30 Under 30 list for their work using AI to support circular solutions in the fashion industry.
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TextileGenesis steps up traceability – twice
Following a successful 2023 pilot, Mango has expanded its collaboration with TextileGenesis, now tracing over 6,000 tonnes of fibre and 40 million products.
Mango x TextileGenesis
And in a second major move, Circulose® is partnering with TextileGenesis to provide digital traceability from pulp to product.
Circulose® x TextileGenesis -
Resortecs secures €6M series A
With less than 1% of textiles recycled into new textiles, disassembly remains one of the biggest barriers. Resortecs’ new funding round will scale Smart Disassembly™ across Europe, with plans for their first facility by 2027 and five more in the next five years.
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First investors back Thermal Cyclones
Thermal Cyclones, winners of the Global Change Award 2025, have raised €1.46 million from Norrsken Launcher to scale their high-efficiency, all-electric steam generator. The modular system delivers steam up to 250 °C using 75 % less energy than fossil-fuelled boilers, a breakthrough that could decarbonise industrial heat and cut one of the world’s biggest sources of emissions.